Christie instead will tell you the truth: New Jersey is flat-broke.
Chris Christie to teacher: If you don’t like my education budget, find a new job
borough teacher Rita Wilson, a Kearny resident, argued that if she were paid $3 an hour for the 30 children in her class, she’d be earning $83,000, and she makes nothing near that.
“You’re getting more than that if you include the cost of your benefits,” Christie interrupted.
When Wilson, who has a master’s degree, said she was not being compensated for her education and experience, Christie said:
“Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it.” Some in the audience applauded.
Christie said he would not have had to impose cuts to education if the teachers union had agreed to his call for a one-year salary freeze and a 1.5 percent increase in employee benefit contributions.
“Your union said that is the greatest assault on public education in the history of the state,” Christie said. “That’s why the union has no credibility, stupid statements like that.”
Surrounded by reporters after she spoke, Wilson said she was shaking from the encounter, and worried she might get in trouble for speaking out.
As Betsy points out,
Oh, as if a union teacher in New Jersey would get in trouble for asking a question of the governor about getting more money!
For areas such as Princeton, which treat the Borough and Township residents as a blank check, there’s this:
Christie has outlined a “toolkit” to address New Jersey’s property taxes, which on average are among the highest in the country. The centerpiece is a proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a 2.5 percent cap on the annual increase in the local property tax levy, which is the total amount of taxes collected each year from towns, school boards and county government.
It’s about time.
And yes, you know things are bad when I’m glad to hear about capping increases at 2.5%…
UPDATE
Ace has the video,
